The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Traditional automotive body panel stamping and trimming processes used to make roof panels that include a sunroof have been used with great success for achieving the specified dimensions and tolerances required by designers. However, new product designs have stretched beyond the dimensional and quality capability of current processes. Therefore, to continue producing the new product designs under the current processes creates new challenges. For example, the traditional stamping processes require the use of additional dies, air trimming, and lancing to achieve the dimensional capability required by designers. Additional dies adds to tooling, machining, maintenance, and labor costs. Air trimming affects body panel quality as the body panel is supported on only one side during trim causing deflection and trim steel wear out. Lancing operations lead to safety issues as overhanging scrap interferes with handling the body panel between operations. Furthermore, lancing increases sliver production leading to poor body panel surface quality.
As a whole, the quality, cost, and safety challenges facing body panel manufacturers would render the new designs too costly to incorporate into new vehicle models. Thus, there is a need in the art for a new stamping manufacturing process that improves dimensional capability, lowers cost, improves product quality, and ensures worker safety.